第32章

Ht handed the missive to the Commissioner.T.X.took it and glanced at the typewritten address.It was marked "urgent" and "by hand." He took up the thin, steel, paper-knife from the desk and slit open the envelope.The letter consisted of three or four pages of manuscript and, unlike the envelope, it was handwritten.

"My dear T.X.," it began, and the handwriting was familiar.

Mansus, watching the Commissioner, saw the puzzled frown gather on his superior's forehead, saw the eyebrows arch and the mouth open in astonishment, saw him hastily turn to the last page to read the signature and then"Howling apples!" gasped T.X."It's from John Lexman!"His hand shook as he turned the closely written pages.The letter was dated that afternoon.There was no other address than "London.""My dear T.X.," it began, "I do not doubt that this letter will give you a little shock, because most of my friends will have believed that I am gone beyond return.Fortunately or unfortunately that is not so.For myself I could wish - but I am not going to take a very gloomy view since I am genuinely pleased at the thought that I shall be meeting you again.Forgive this letter if it is incoherent but I have only this moment returned and am writing at the Charing Cross Hotel.I am not staying here, but I will let you have my address later.The crossing has been a very severe one so you must forgive me if my letter sounds a little disjointed.You will be sorry to hear that my dear wife is dead.She died abroad about six months ago.I do not wish to talk very much about it so you will forgive me if I do not tell you any more.

"My principal object in writing to you at the moment is an official one.I suppose I am still amenable to punishment and Ihave decided to surrender myself to the authorities to-night.You used to have a most excellent assistant in Superintendent Mansus, and if it is convenient to you, as I hope it will be, I will report myself to him at 10.15.At any rate, my dear T.X., I do not wish to mix you up in my affairs and if you will let me do this business through Mansus I shall be very much obliged to you.

"I know there is no great punishment awaiting me, because my pardon was apparently signed on the night before my escape.Ishall not have much to tell you, because there is not much in the past two years that I would care to recall.We endured a great deal of unhappiness and death was very merciful when it took my beloved from me.

"Do you ever see Kara in these days?

"Will you tell Mansus to expect me at between ten and half-past, and if he will give instructions to the officer on duty in the hall I will come straight up to his room.

"With affectionate regards, my dear fellow, I am, "Yours sincerely,"JOHN LEXMAN."T.X.read the letter over twice and his eyes were troubled.

"Poor girl," he said softly, and handed the letter to Mansus."He evidently wants to see you because he is afraid of using my friendship to his advantage.I shall be here, nevertheless.""What will be the formality?" asked Mansus.

"There will be no formality," said the other briskly."I will secure the necessary pardon from the Home Secretary and in point of fact I have it already promised, in writing."He walked back to Whitehall, his mind fully occupied with the momentous events of the day.It was a raw February evening, sleet was falling in the street, a piercing easterly wind drove even through his thick overcoat.In such doorways as offered protection from the bitter elements the wreckage of humanity which clings to the West end of London, as the singed moth flutters about the flame that destroys it, were huddled for warmth.

T.X.was a man of vast human sympathies.

All his experience with the criminal world, all his disappointments, all his disillusions had failed to quench the pity for his unfortunate fellows.He made it a rule on such nights as these, that if, by chance, returning late to his office he should find such a shivering piece of jetsam sheltering in his own doorway, he would give him or her the price of a bed.

In his own quaint way he derived a certain speculative excitement from this practice.If the doorway was empty he regarded himself as a winner, if some one stood sheltered in the deep recess which is a feature of the old Georgian houses in this historic thoroughfare, he would lose to the extent of a shilling.

He peered forward through the semi-darkness as he neared the door of his offices.

"I've lost," he said, and stripped his gloves preparatory to groping in his pocket for a coin.

Somebody was standing in the entrance, but it was obviously a very respectable somebody.A dumpy, motherly somebody in a seal-skin coat and a preposterous bonnet.

"Hullo," said T.X.in surprise, "are you trying to get in here?""I want to see Mr.Meredith," said the visitor, in the mincing affected tones of one who excused the vulgar source of her prosperity by frequently reiterated claims to having seen better days.

"Your longing shall be gratified," said T.X.gravely.

He unlocked the heavy door, passed through the uncarpeted passage - there are no frills on Government offices - and led the way up the stairs to the suite on the first floor which constituted his bureau.

He switched on all the lights and surveyed his visitor, a comfortable person of the landlady type.